


the best gifts

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: first to fight [22]
Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Baby Fic, Established Relationship, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 01, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: Maya and Rhys welcome a second daughter.
Relationships: John "Abe" Abraham/Harper Li, Maya Dobbins/Original Male Character(s), Nona Ferry/Trey Ferry, Rami Ahmadi/Nazil Ahmadi
Series: first to fight [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1471817
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	the best gifts

**Author's Note:**

> "A daughter is one of the best gifts the world has to give." - Laurel Atherton 
> 
> This is a bit later in the series than the last thing I posted, but it's for good reason: my brother's little girl was born late last night! Because of this lockdown, the hospital is refusing to allow visitors inside, so I haven’t met her in person yet, which is a major bummer, but I understand it's for her health and ours, so, while we eagerly await for the all-clear from those in the know when it comes to this virus, I decided to go ahead and publish this story I finished back in March. I hope you enjoy!

“Maya,” Harper began hesitantly, glancing nervously over at the other woman as she winced for the fifth time in as many minutes, “are you _sure_ you don’t need me to drive you to the hospital?”

“I’m _fine_ ,” her fellow captain insisted, also for the fifth time in as many minutes. “They’re just Braxton Hicks.”

“Maybe they were Braxton Hicks a few weeks ago,” Harper agreed cautiously. “But you’re three days past your due date. You should probably at least get checked out.”

“We’re in the middle of a case,” Maya protested. “I can’t just leave.”

“We haven’t presented anything to a judge yet,” Abe interjected absently, glancing up from the file in his hands to level his friend with a pointed look. “I think one of the fifty or so lawyers on your floor can pretty easily handle an Article 112 case. It would probably be in your client’s best interests for you to not give birth in the middle of your rebuttal. I’m just guessing here, though.”

“Everyone else is busy,” Maya told them, gripping the edge of the table as she drew in a deep breath. “And Rhys is – Rhys is in West Virginia. This kid is staying put until he gets back.”

“Somehow, I don’t think she bothered to check her father’s schedule before deciding when to be born,” Abe remarked drily. “And your fiancé will annihilate everyone in this building if we don’t at least endeavor to convince you that the hospital is, at this precise moment in time, a very good idea.”

Maya inhaled deeply, then glanced between the two of them. “Will doing this convince both of you that everything is fine?”

Harper nodded quickly.

“Okay, then,” her friend sighed, resigned. “But I’m telling you right now – they’re going to send me straight back here. I’m _not_ in labor.”

-o-

“Well,” Abe drawled an hour later, “I hate to tell you this, May, but I do believe there’s a distinct possibility you were, in fact, wrong.”

“Okay, yes,” Maya agreed exasperatedly. “So maybe I was a little further into the process than I thought.”

“A _little_ further?” the prosecutor repeated, amused. “Dobbins, you were about two seconds away from giving birth in the back of my _SUV_.”

“Stop antagonizing her, Abe,” Harper suggested, glancing up from her goddaughter’s tiny face to meet her husband’s gaze. “She just brought a human being into the world.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” the other woman muttered gratefully. She reached for her phone, sighing when no new notifications appeared on the screen. “Rhys is going to kick himself for not being here. It’s always killed him that he was overseas when Maddie was born, and now…”

“It’s not your fault, May,” Harper replied softly, carefully handing the baby over to her husband. “Or his. Babies are going to do what babies want to do.”

“Yeah,” Maya murmured, forcing a smile. “Hey, Mads is about to get out of school. I should call Rhys’s brother, see if he can…”

“Nazil’s all over it,” Harper interrupted. “She’s going to feed her, too, before she brings her up here.”

“Okay,” Maya sighed, leaning back against the pillows and allowing her eyes to drift shut. “That is – that’s good.”

Abe nodded once, then carefully placed baby Donovan in the bassinette next to her mother’s bed. “We’re going to let you get some rest. Call if you need anything, all right?”

Maya murmured something akin to an agreement, already well on her way to dreamland, and the other two lawyers ducked from the room, heading down the hall and to the elevator.

“Did General Turnbull have any update on Rhys?” Harper questioned. “Has anyone told him he has another daughter?”

Abe nodded. “Donovan wasn’t answering, but I managed to get ahold of Carmichael. They’re on the first hop back.”

“Good,” Harper breathed. “We’re sticking around until he gets here, aren’t we?”

“Of course,” Abe replied immediately. “We’ll hang out with Maddie until her dad gets here. I’m sure he and Maya both want to be there when the kids meet.”

Harper smiled gently. “Maya’s got _kids_ now,” she pointed out quietly.

He grinned in return. “I know. It’s pretty great, isn’t it?”

“Especially because you’ll be able to spoil them, right?” she remarked drily.

“Well, it’s an added benefit,” he admitted easily. “Speaking of which – there’s probably a gift shop around here somewhere, right?”

Harper shook her head fondly. “Yes,” she sighed. “There’s a gift shop. Let me guess; you want to go buy them out of every item of tiny, pink clothing they sell?”

“Not _every_ item,” Abe returned absently, tugging gently on her hand to lead her into the elevator. “I’m not going to buy a thousand duplicates.”

“You’re impossible,” she murmured affectionately, “and I love you.”

He smiled warmly as he wrapped an arm around her waist, gently pulling her into his side and then pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, too.”

-o-

Maddie was curled up on the waiting room’s sofa, thoroughly entranced by the book her Uncle Abe was reading, when her father arrived, looking as panicked as Harper had ever seen him.

“Hey, Rhys,” she greeted quietly, careful not to disturb the little girl as she stood from her chair and made her way towards her friend. She embraced him briefly, then pulled away with a smile she hoped was comforting. “They’re both okay,” she promised, knowing that was what he was most concerned about. “You have another beautiful baby girl. Congratulations.”

He exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “I never should’ve left when I did. I knew there was a big chance of her giving birth today, but she just…”

“Hey,” she interrupted sternly. “I’ve known Maya Dobbins long enough to know _exactly_ how stubborn she can be, especially when it comes to her work. She’s fine. The baby’s fine. That is all you need to be focused on right now, okay? There’s no reason for you to feel guilty.”

He nodded shakily, blinking several times as he glanced towards the doors of the maternity ward, then looked back over at his eldest daughter. “Can you, uh…”

“We’ve got Maddie,” she told him, patting his shoulder. “Just go ahead and see your little girl, Donovan.”

He certainly wasn’t going to protest that offer. He headed for the doors before she had finished speaking.

She laughed quietly, then turned back to her husband and their honorary niece. “Okay, Maddie,” she began, reclaiming her seat, “what’re you reading us now?”

-o-

Rhys reappeared ten minutes later, looking significantly more misty-eyed than he had before. He headed for his daughter, scooping her up and smiling when she tightly hugged his neck. “How’d you like to meet your little sister, Maddie?”

The little girl’s eyes widened. “I have a little sister?” she whispered, as if she couldn’t quite believe her luck.

Her dad laughed quietly, then nodded. “Yeah, kiddo, you do, and Mommy and I are very eager for her to meet you. So. What do you say?”

She nodded eagerly, waiting to be placed on the ground before she grabbed her father’s hand and proceeded to practically drag him in the direction of her mother’s room.

Harper sighed happily, scooting over to rest her head on her husband’s shoulder. “We’re going to go broke, aren’t we, buying clothes for all these babies?”

“No,” Abe promised, leaning down slightly to press a kiss to the top of her head. “Well, maybe,” he admitted a moment later, causing her to exhale laughingly. “We’ll have to see.”

“Mm,” she murmured in response. “Just so you know, when it’s our turn, please force me to go to the hospital the very first time I wince. I don’t really love the idea of missing my shot for an epidural.”

“Gladly,” he replied tiredly.

-o-

It was about half an hour later than Maya sked them all to come back and see the family of four. The waiting room was significantly fuller than it had been when Rhys and Maddie departed; the Ferrys had arrived, both twins in tow, and Rami had come to sit with his wife and daughter. The entire group was beyond excited to get a glimpse at their little group’s tiniest member. It amused Harper, sometimes, how another tiny baby girl could turn the men she worked with into walking, talking teddy bears.

Maya was sitting up in bed when they walked in, cradling her newborn daughter in one arm with Maddie cuddled into her side. Rhys was in the chair at her bedside, having moved it closer to the bed than Harper would’ve considered possible, staring at all three of his girls.

“Hi,” their friend greeted quietly, glancing away from the baby with an exhausted grin. “This one has been waiting about nine months now to meet you all. She was getting a little impatient.”

“She’s beautiful, May,” Nona murmured, shifting Gia in her arms as the little girl grew restless. “Absolutely perfect.”

“Thank you,” Maya replied quietly, stroking a finger down her daughter’s cheek. “I thought we would have a few more days to get ready for her, but that’s okay. She’s already sure of what she wants, aren’t you?” she cooed, leaning down to kiss her daughter’s forehead.

“Congratulations, ma’am,” Rami remarked from the space next to Harper.

“Rami,” Maya sighed with exasperated fondness. “We’re not on the clock anymore. Knock it _off_ with the ma’am stuff, all right?”

“Yes, ma…” The warrant officer paused. “Yes.”

Nazil patted her husband on the shoulder. “He’s going to work on that.”

Maya laughed quietly, then glanced over at Abe and Harper. “If I ever do this again, I promise I will listen to the two of you, all right?”

“Your dedication to the job is appreciated, Captain Dobbins,” Trey spoke up. “Perhaps you could do with being a bit less dedicated for a few months, though.”

“Oh, believe me, I will not be walking into the office again until the United States government forces me to,” Maya told them. “Give this one a break before you all start recruiting her.”

“She’s the daughter of lawyers,” Abe pointed out. “She’ll make a great one.”

Maya rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, glancing down at her daughter. “You see that? Uncle Abe’s already starting.”

“ _He_ will work on _that_ ,” Harper promised, prompting Nazil to laugh quietly.

“How about a name?” Abe asked after a few moments passed in silence.

“This is information he needs before going out and getting every piece of clothing he’s bought monogrammed,” Harper explained, far too much fondness in her tone for her words to pass as exasperated.

Maya laughed quietly. “Well, I hate to be an enabler, but… we named her Katherine.”

“After your mom,” Abe remarked, his smile slightly sad.

Maya nodded once, her eyes glistening with tears. “And her middle name’s Mackenzie, after Rhys’ side of the family.” 

“It was my mother’s maiden name,” Rhys supplied.

“Katherine Mackenzie Donovan,” Harper tested it out, smiling down at the baby. “It fits her.”

“Yeah,” Maya breathed. “That’s what we all thought, too.” She pressed another kiss to the little girl’s forehead. “There are sure a lot of people who want to welcome you into the world, my girl. Stick with us, and you’ll be just fine.”

-o-

They stuck around for a few more minutes before leaving the new family of four to have some time to themselves. Abe followed Harper onto the elevator, hand brushing gently against her arm as an orderly made his way past, pushing a cart full of food.

“They looked so _happy_ ,” Harper commented quietly.

“Bringing another life into the world brings it out in you, I guess,” Abe agreed, pressing the button for the ground floor. They arrived in the lobby less than a minute later, then made their way out to the parking lot. “There’s still a Carter’s outlet right down the street from the apartment, right?”

“Yes, honey,” Harper assured him with a wry smile. “Heaven forbid anyone take away your right to be a doting uncle.”

He nodded in agreement, then unlocked the car. “Might as well pick something up for the twins, too. Their birthday’s coming up next month.”

“You mean we need _more_ things to add to the container full of birthday presents already at the bottom of our closet?” Harper questioned rhetorically, opening her door and climbing into the seat.

“Well, they grow out of the clothes fast,” Abe defended, though he was laughing a bit himself. “I’m just making sure Trey and Nona are well-stocked.”

She stared at him for a moment, so in love it was almost impossible to believe. When he glanced over her way, she flashed a warm smile, then leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.

“What?” he asked a moment later. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“You’re going to be a great dad,” she replied simply.

He chuckled quietly. “Being a good uncle doesn’t mean I’ll be a good dad,” he pointed out. “It’s an entirely different ballgame.”

“It is,” she agreed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t already know you’ll be great at it.”

“Okay,” Abe said slowly, glancing in the rearview mirror before carefully backing out, “is this you trying to tell me something?”

She scoffed amusedly. “No. If I was going to tell you I was pregnant, I’d just come out and say it.”

“Good to know,” he replied, smirking over at her before returning his attention to the road and pulling out of the parking lot. “And just so you know,” he added, “you’ll be a great mom.”

“Mm,” Harper murmured humorously. “I can’t wait. Well, I can,” she clarified, “but…”

“Neither can I,” he interrupted, smiling gently.

“You’re not allowed to buy out stores with ours, though,” she added firmly.

He sighed playfully. “You always ruin all my fun.”

“Oh, you love it,” she fired back.

“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling adoringly over at her. “I really do.”

**Author's Note:**

> I promise the wedding won't be glossed over! It's been surprisingly difficult for me to write, but I'll get it done eventually, I swear!


End file.
